The Monash University aged care researcher (pictured above) has given an interview to the ABC’s PM Program – in addition to appearing on the 7.30 Report program on aged care lockdowns – calling for the data submitted by providers in the call out for cases of ‘sub-standard care’ issued by the Commissioners in November 2018 to be used to pinpoint potential ‘hotspots’ for COVID-19.
You can listen to the program here.
“The homes that have had trouble with staffing, it’s typically they don’t have staff available in the areas,” he said.
He says given that there will be an estimated one to two million people unemployed, there are roles for people to be trained in aged care and act as a “buffer” for facilities that have struggles to have adequate staffing in the past.
Dr Ibrahim also suggests giving residents a bigger role in decision-making could be a way to ensure standards are maintained while inspections are not being conducted on site at many homes.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) already uses Consumer Experience Reports (CERs) to gauge residents’ and families’ experience of residential care.
Could a solution be to distribute these to all homes in addition to the telephone assessments being done during the crisis?
